Medieval city-state, a world away
If you want fresh air and give some new vibes to your trip in Italy, Padua, Padova in Italian, is the best place. Not a big city, having around two hundred thousand inhabitants, and with the atmosphere of a serene place, Padua is located on the Veneto region, distant 40 km from Venice and from the coast. It has Italy’s second oldest university, where Galileo Galilei was teacher, with almost 800 years, giving the city till now the young and energetic population of students.A Roman city since 45 BC, prospering until it fell into the hands of the barbarians, the city fell into oblivion, recovering slowly the status it had before. It was with the death of St. Antony that it became a place of pilgrimage, and it’s known worldwide for being part of the history of this saint. The Basilica of St. Antony is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Padua, together with the Giotto frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel, a masterpiece and impressive art, covering the walls and ceiling, containing techniques ahead of his time.
In St. George’s Oratory a visitor is going to find other frescoes done by Giotto’s students, not so impressive, but very beautiful. Worth to see is also Prato della Valle, originally a Roman theater, the biggest square in Europe and probably one of the most beautiful. Padua has also a small arena, nothing like the coliseum or Verona’s arena, but still worth to visit. There’s a museum of ancient scientific instruments that’s very interesting and peculiar, it’s also free entrance.
Padua is not the first touristic city in Italy, but a visitor will spend some really good time here, and the city has more to show that one might think. Padua is lovely and energetic, old and young, and will be part of a time well spent.
